Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-04-23

GttASSlA-'D0 1Of Jne Time the
center of the court society Of the United
States "Grasslands" is within a stones
throw of Oak View, the presidents coun-
try home 1t lies upon some of the high
est ground Of the District Of Columbia, and
is composed Of l03 acres Of rolling land. The
Whitney house is at the opposite side of the
farm from the presidents, and the front
doors of the two homes are perhaps half a
mile apart. The presidents property con-
sists of only twenty-eight acres, and he paid
for it nearly three times as much an acre as
Whitney did for his Whitney's whole prop
erty cost him only $4,000, but it is now
worth fully 100000 and would bring that
under the hammer. The house itself is a
rambling brick structure, painted white, with
many rooms on the ground floor. 1t is far
better than the average farm house
about Washington, and Secretary Whitney
has made it one of the pleasantest country
seats in the district. 1t has still around
it the generous barns and outhouses Of the or
binary farm, and some of the old negro cab
ms still stand. A wide drive leads from the
Tunlaw road up to the house, which is very
unpretentious in appearance. The entrance
door is plain, but the interior Is a continuous
wonder of old fashioned elegance and COM
fort. Mrs. Whitney has taken this old farm
house and made it into one of the most rest
full homes imaginable. One Of the little
rooms at the back has been turned into hall
or vestibule, and generous hall it is. About
twelve feet square, its floor is of Georgia pine,
the grain of which shows out through a coat
shellac varnish with such polish on it that
YOU can almost see your face III it. Entering
mis- hall, on either side Of you is an old fash
toned mahogany hall seat inlaid with brass,
and having solid back and sides of comfort
abie proportions. A strip Of Turkish rug
lies between these, and directly in front of
you and leading on into second hall there is
a door, the stone step of which is worn low
with the tread of many generations. Over
this door magnificent pair Of antlerS look
down upon you, and at its left a brass faced
old Dutch clock, taller than the tallest man,
stares out of its mahogany case and solemnly
ticks welcome. If you enter on the hour
its gong like strike will hold you by its music.
AT the side of this clock there is another
pair of antlers standing on the tops of their
horns and leaning against the wall. These
antlers have many large branches, and the
whole is so tall that it reaches nearly five feet
from the floor. Mrs. Whitney uses this as a
hat and shawl rack, and upon it hang shawls
of different colors. Passing through this door
we come into another hall, in which two old
mahogany chairs Of antique shape stand as
sentinels and into which on either side opens
a generous door leading to the parlor and the
dining room. At the end Of this hall there is
a door which looks out upon a billy lawn or
park shaded by forest trees, and opposite this
within the hall are the stairs which lead by
gradual flights to the upper stories.
s*x
The parlor is large and comfortable. 1t
has many windows, giving beautiful views,
and its central object is the big fire Of soft
coal which blazes in a curiously shaped
iron CRATE The mantel about the fire is Of